Tipping at Restaurants

[DanceBabe16]

I'm not sure if this topic is a touchy subject or whatnot, but I was just wondering about some things...

I just started waiting tables at a restaurant that I've been a hostess at for two years and have noticed that people have EXTREME differences in the way that they tip their servers - I know that I give the same attention and service to pretty much every single table but their tip percentage often varies from 10% (and sometimes less) to over 20%. After waiting tables myself, I can see just how important a good tip is to a server...

I was just curious - what is your "policy" when it comes to tipping your waiter?

 

[the kabuki]

Always tip 20%-25% unless service is truly awful, then it's only 10%, but I'm a former waitress and the best tippers are always us!

 

[Dan Murphy]

On a normal bill, normal good service, about 20%. If a rather small bill, it could be 50, even 100%. If lousy service, 10%, maybe less, but only a few times in my life have I had poor service that I would attribute to the server.

 

[Darcy]

For us it really depends on the service. For example we took the kids and one of their friends to dinner and a movie. There was 5 of us total. I told the waiter we were trying to make a movie and we got our food in about 10-5 minues from the time we walked in the door. We tipped somewhere over 30%, another time we went to a real nice breakfast, saw the waitress twice, to take the order and to bring the order...and it was wrong and incomplete, no coffee refills nothing. We tipped .01, then told the manger why, and he didn't offer to comp or anything. We shouldn't of paid, but did the passive agressive thing and never went back.

 

[tiggersmom2]

I usually tip 15% for adequate service....20% for great service. If I get poor service I tip zero, zip, zilch (and I talk to the manager).

 

[poohandwendy]

Always tip 20%-25% unless service is truly awful, then it's only 10%, but I'm a former waitress and the best tippers are always us!

ditto, I tip well for good service...but I also do not have much patience with poor service. And it will be reflected in my tip. I waited tables for years when I was younger. I think it should be law that everyone serve the public for one week (jk, sort of). It would change peoples perspective.

 

[themepark]

20-25% for excellent service...bringing drinks right away, refilling drinks, checking on our table from time to time, being nice.

When service is terrible...rude server, not helpful or at the very least apologetic in fixing a problem with the order, no drink refills, we never see him/her after the order arrives...I tip nothing or very little and I always talk to the manager and explain why.

 

[Lil_Tink]

Me being only 14.. Hehehehe... Don't really go out to eat..Except Starbucks but I usally tip there if I get my drink fast.. Usually all or some of my change.. but at resertaunts I believe my parents do 15% for bad/ok service and 20% for excellent but Im not postitve

 

[supercarrie]

I usually tip 15-20% for regular service, more if the service is exceptional, and less if the service is awful. I rarely leave less than 15%, the "awful" cases are when its clear the server just doesn't care. If they look like they are trying hard but just having a bad day or something, I won't lower it. If the bill is small, I never leave less than $1 or $2 even if that makes for a very high percentage tip. My brother and sister in law were servers for several years at fairly upscale restaurants, and after hearing their horror stories of people who would have $400+ bills or parties of 8+, would receive great service, and then leave maybe $3, or even nothing at all, I just couldn't believe it. The tips are fully deserved, especially when they make less than the typical minimum wage to begin with!

 

[swea_pea1]

For good service, I'll tip 20% or more. When the kids were babies and they dropped food on the floor, it was at least 30%.

I reduce the tip if the service isn't that good and I don't tip at all for really poor service that truly is the fault of the waitstaff. Luckily that's only happened once or twice.

 

[gepetto]

I usually tip 15% for adequate service....20% for great service. If I get poor service I tip zero, zip, zilch (and I talk to the manager).

ditto. I expect drinks filled in a timely manner and the check brought/processed promptly. For that, I will leave 20%.

 

[bunnyfoo]

I start everyone off at 20% and it either goes up or down from there but I also try to take into consideration how busy the restaurant is and how many tables our waiter has.

I usually give more if the waiter/waitress gives good service (ie. bringing drink refills without being asked, giving the credit card back to the correct person and saying thank-you + my name). For me, a waiter can lose some of their tip if they don't come back to check on us after dropping off the food or has a bad attitude (sometimes I get dirty looks for ordering water).

 

[mudnuri]

Always tip 20%-25% unless service is truly awful, then it's only 10%, but I'm a former waitress and the best tippers are always us!

I'd hate to differ with this, but as a former waitress I'd say we're the worst tippers.

I have very little patience when it comes to a crappy server. If the restaurant is busy I know its not their fault, but If my food comes out wrong, and she/he delivers it after taking my order- im not impressed. If my coffee cup is empty at a breakfast, im not impressed.

I wont tip for crappy service, and I'll let the manager know exactly why the server gets nothing.

Now- on the other hand, I've been known to tip extreamly well. I can go out for breakfast, spend 2.95 on it, and tip $3.00 of have a $30.00 dinner and leave 15.00 Just depends on the server.

Brandy

 

[aprilgail2]

I tip 20 percent for normal service....goes up from there. But if we are at Friendlys or something like that and the bill is only 10.00 I always leave 5.00 tip....I don't tip less than 5.00 for any bill we get.

 

[dmslush]

Absolutely NOTHING for bad service. It is not my job to supplement someone's income if they do not care enough about it to do a decent job. Around here, I don't really tip a % because the cost of eating is so low. For instance, SO and I will go eat breakfast this morning, it will be about $10(total for both of us). Well, we usually leave the waitress $3.

 

[LoraJ]

I start everyone off at 20% and it either goes up or down from there but I also try to take into consideration how busy the restaurant is and how many tables our waiter has.

Ditto!

 

[pearlieq]

I tip 20 percent for normal service....goes up from there. But if we are at Friendlys or something like that and the bill is only 10.00 I always leave 5.00 tip....I don't tip less than 5.00 for any bill we get.

That's pretty much exactly what we do. I'll go down to 10-15% for average to below average service, and nothing for truly awful, usually accompanied by a visit with the manager. I've tipped up to 100% for something truly spectacular.

 

[Pop Daddy]

If shes sexy the sky is the limit

 

[Disney1fan2002]

If shes sexy the sky is the limit

Ahh, but what if HE'S sexy? Just to the top of the trees?

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Usually 15-20%, depending on the service, how hard of a table we were (did we order water, which still needs to be refilled, but doesn't add onto the bill, did we have a messy child, etc), the total of the bill (if the food is inexpensive I don't penalize the wait person), etc.

I will tip more for great service and less for not such great service. Terrible service would get no tip, but I would also talk to the manager about the problem.

T&B